Pasta and Paratha is a simple manifestation of my own struggle to bring flavor and pleasure to the mundane task of eating.
The process that finally culminates into the crucial decision of “what’s for dinner” can be exasperating. So, along the pages you will find menu ideas, party food, cooking tips, everyday fare and an occasional gossip!
More than anything this blog is about love and enjoyment of food and its preparation.
You are most welcome to share your recipes, tips and secrets.

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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Some dishes always retain their exotic status no matter how often you cook them or how common they are at very many dinner tables. Stuffed Eggplant is one such dish. Of the million versions of this classic dish, I try a new each time with little or more success. The recipe below uses Goda masala, a traditional Maharashtrian spice mixture. As expected, it added a lot more flavor to the dish.

Ingredients

Baby eggplants – 8

Dry Coconut powder – 6 tsp

Chopped cilantro – ¼ cup

Tamarind paste – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Red chili powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Goda masala – 1 tsp

Diced garlic – 1 tsp

Grated ginger – 1 tsp

Diced Onion – 1 medium

Asafetida – a pinch

Water – as needed

Oil – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Dilute the tamarind paste by adding a little water so that it has syrup like consistency. Add coconut powder, chopped cilantro, cumin, coriander, turmeric and red chili powder, goda masala and salt to form a mixture. Use half of this mixture to fill up the eggplants.

Chop off the top green portion of the baby eggplants. Make 3 slits in each eggplant to carve an opening. Take roughly 1 tsp of the mixture prepared above and stuff the eggplants one by one. Set aside once all are nicely prepped up.

Heat oil in a skillet; add asafetida, diced onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the onions are done. Add the remaining mixture and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and bring to boil. Place the stuffed eggplants one by one in the skillet and cook covered for 30 minutes or so. Do not stir the eggplants too much in between. Alternative transfer the contents of the skillet to a pressure cooker and blow three whistles.

The use of Goda masala made this dish a little extra spicy, just the way we like it sometimes.

Serving suggestions

·With Roti/Rice

Tips

·Dry Mango Powder (Amchur) can be used in place of tamarind.

Interesting fact

·Eggplant has more nicotine than any other edible plant but not so much as compared to passive smoking.

Monday, May 9, 2011

A couple of months back when I started writing recipes on Pasta and Paratha, Shivangi, a friend and also a follower on this blog asked me what to do with leftover Italian breadcrumbs. Now, I feel extremely flattered when someone asks me for a recipe or an opinion. And so this query by Shivangi set me thinking. I was toying with the idea of making Idli or Uttapam with bread crumbs but didn’t actually get to cooking it. It is when one of my favorite blogs (NOW SERVING) posted a recipe of an unusual kind of Idli that I remembered I had to live up to a friend’s expectation.

So here it goes, but before that, Thank you Shivangi for having enough faith in my recipes and Thank you Priya for reminding me of my promise (via your blog!).

Ingredients

Italian bread crumbs – 1 cup

Rava/semolina – ¾ cup

Yogurt – 1 cup

Baking soda – ½ tsp

Baking powder – a pinch

Dried parsley – 4 tsp

Salt and pepper

Oil – 4 tsp

Water – as needed

Combine bread crumbs, semolina and yogurt to make a paste. Use water as needed. Keep aside covered for 30 minutes. Heat 2 tsp oil and 2 tsp water in a small skillet. Bring to a boil, turn the heat off and add baking soda and powder. Stir and empty the liquid in the paste made earlier with bread crumbs and semolina. Add dried parsley, salt and pepper and some water to form a batter.

Boil 4 cups of water in the Idli vessel or a large pot. Grease the Idli trays with remaining oil and fill with the batter. Sprinkle pepper on top of each Idli. Steam for about 15 minutes or so. Insert a knife and check; if it comes out clean, the Idlis are done.

Italian Idli tried and tasted by Shivangi

A note here about the final outcome. Shivangi sent me pictures of this recipe tried by her. Looks like her Italian Idlis turned out even better than mine, and I couldn’t be happier for it spells success for Pasta and Paratha.

Serving suggestions

·With Ketchup/Olive oil

Tips

·The ratio of breadcrumbs to Semolina can be half and half or 2:1 either ways. The texture of the Idli will come out different depending on that ratio, feel free to experiment!

Interesting fact

·The process of steaming originated in Indonesia and subsequently the cooking method inspired other regions giving rise to the modern day Idli.

Monday, May 2, 2011

A Hot dog may seem extremely tempting to children I suppose, especially if all their friends are having one. My daughter’s annual barbeque party from school last summer had swings, slides, lemonade and hot dogs. After a whole lot of running around and playing, she was super excited to eat with her friends and the veggie hot dog with soy looked as good as the real deal, but one bite and my daughter could eat no further. Of course, being an adult I realize the health advantages of soy, but for a hungry kid it was not what she wanted to eat.

I forgot all about the hot dog until last week when she brought up the subject again and said, Mom, I like to look at it, but don’t like to eat it. Point taken. I set to work and in about 20 minutes a delicious veggie hot dog was on its way.

Ingredients

Red kidney beans – 1 can

Boiled potato – 1 small

Red chili flakes – as tolerated

Cumin powder – ½ tsp

Oil – as needed

Diced pickle (dill) – 1 tsp

Diced onions- 2 tsp

Mustard – ½ tsp

Tomato ketchup – lots and lots

Hot dog buns – as required

Drain the kidney beans and wash with cold water. Transfer to a bowl. Mash them well. Mash the boiled potato and add to the kidney bean mixture. Add salt, pepper, cumin powder, red chili flakes and mix well. Heat a skillet and grease with 1 tsp oil. Roll the kidney bean and potato mixture in shape of a hot dog. Grill them two at a time on the skillet, flipping sides. The veggie hot dogs are done when a crispy layer is formed through out.

Now take an open hot dog bun, layer it with diced onions. Put the hot dog in the middle and top it with mustard, diced pickle and ketchup. Enjoy the hot dog without the meat!

Serving suggestions

·With iced tea/lemonade

Tips

·Pickled dill has been used in place of relish here, which would have been an original choice.